Water or air motor



Nov. l5, 1927.

A. ALEXEEFF WATER 0R AIR MOTOR Filed May 27. 1926 lNvENToR /VE LEX-EFFATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

Unirse smies WATER on .ein Moron. f

Application filled May 27,

My invention` relates to a water or air motor for utilizing water or aircurrents as source of power. j j

My improved motor is ot the class of 5 motors wherein pivoted bucketsare supported to extend across the current in one part oit theirmovement, and are free to turn during' another return part ottheirmovement.- Y.

According to my inventionmeans are provided for securingnincreased powerby `excluding or substantially excluding `the fluid current from thezone tra-versed by the buckets during their return' movement,"

In accordance with another feature of the invention means areprovidedior completely freeing the bucketsso that the current does notexert driving pressure thereon. at any time, whereby the motor can beturned oil or-in other words, stopped, a't will.

The above and further objects of my invention will b'e understoodfronrthe following description of a form ot apparatus embodying theprinciple of the invention.

In theaccompanying drawings, Eig. l is a vertical, centrahsectionalview. Fig. 2 is a section ofn the line 2-2,Fig. 1. v

The motor comprises a wheel construct-ed preferably as an open frameworkand made up of radial spokes 1 and lrings 2j, connected at theirintersect-ions by the vertical rods 3. The spokes'rl are secured in ahub or hous- Wd which turnson the central, vertical shaft 5. Said spokes1 extend, through ka cylinder (i provided with bushings 8 to rotateon''shaft 51." Thfe cylinder 6 is provided with a,r series ot slittedopenings in which the stop pieces 9 can move. Stop pieces 9 haveinclined slots near each end through which the supporting pins 10 and 11are passed and the upper ends 12 of stop pieces 9 extend throughopenings in the upper bushing 8 and project therebeyond. Upon depressingstop pieces 9 they project beyond cylinder 6. as shown in the drawings.and serve to limit the turning movement of the adjacent buckets 13. Uponraising the stop pieces 9, preferably in unison as by a suitable leveror the like. they are retracted into cylinder G. In this position ofstop pieces 9 `the turning movement ot buckets 13 is not limited by stoppieces 9 and the buckets 13 can turn freely.

The buckets 13 are normallyrfr'ee to refV volve ori the rods 3. Each ofthe buckets or dem principal. part 192e'. .semi ne. meer size tol occupythe, space between ,twoof `the rods 3, l3 and a :smaller part or ktailpiece 18h extending onythe opposite side oit the rod 3 on which'` the`bucket turns.. vTail piece 181 is adapted to Vserve as support forlimiting therturning movement-.of the `principal part 13a of theadjacentdoor oribucket. YThis framework wheel, which constitutesthewrotatingvpart of ythe machine,l isfenclosed ina casingThe casinghas-aldoor 7? and a cover 7b, and has the generally cylindricalsidewalls?? and 7a, which are y,interrupted 7 and 7?v to providerespectively an inlet and outlet for the fluid flowing in the direc,tion -oif a the arrows on y Rig.l 2.

and comprising` main .parts 14 and wing.

`In order to prevent power loss` von" the parts 14", 14.` Parts 1li? arecuryed injsectiongonan are of a radiussubstantially equal tothe lengthofthe principal part 13a ofthe bucket.; "13, `which, travels adjacentthereto, and the parts 14h and 14 extend into return zone B from eachend ot part l'tjpand `are curved on arcs substantially concentric withthe rings j Eac'hpartition part 14? .'s spaced awavfroin the part 1,4?of the 'neig :lioringir ypart-iti on structure `14 by an, interval 15sufficientto permit passage, of tliejrod; 3 and bucket 13 therethrough.but not lsufficient to permit the fluid current to pass to any material.extent into return zone B, `trom which it. is substantially excluded bya partition wall made up ot the nartitionvmembers 14 and extendingsubstantially from casing door 7n to the cover 7l. The parts 14" `of theUshaped partitionmembers 8 maybe extended rearwardlv andl circularly forthe whole or.` preferably, for. a part of their height. as indicated at14d. in order to gui-de the returning' buckets 13 into the spaces 15jbetween the parts 14 `ot the partition wall.

j Operation is as follows: When the stop bars 9 are projected out fromthe cylinder 6 they are in position to be'contacted by and afford asupport for the tail piece 13b of. the neighboring; doors or buckets 13.Ae the wheel turns and the buckets are t'tif'ned 'the sono A; through 15they turn on their pivots on rods 3. The innermost buckets 13 are heldacross-thecurrent by the stop bars 9 and all the `other buckets in lineon the same spoke are in turn held across the currentby coming intocontact with the tail pieces 13" on the next H bucket of the series. Thebucketsbeing so supported during their travel throughpoirer zone A exertresistance to the current flow resulting in the desired" development ofpower.` Then the buckets passinto j return zone B they turni freely on`their pivots `and automatically'assume the position of least resistanceuntil they pass through openings 15 whereupon the cycle is repeated. Asonly `still Huid is encounteredin thereturnzone `B the power used uponthe returnis reduced as compared withthe power which would beWastedbyfreturning the buckets and Wheel frame against a current.`

"Themacliine maybe set into operation by proj ecting'the stop, members`9 beyond their recesses in cylinder 6, or stopped by Withdrawing.;rsameinto the recesses whereupon the buckets 13 may turn freely at alltimes andno torque is developed. A

j For Wind Wheels the stops 9 are preferably fined in their outwardlyprojected position andthe 'apparatus stopped by closing the inletopening inany suitable manner. l

lllodilications may be resorted towithin the `scope of my claims,` as,for example, in large machines the numberof spokes, rings "and bucketsmay be increased according to `power requirements, and" spokes 1 andrings 2 may be provided at the ends "of rods 3; as Wellas at the middleparts thereofso long;r `asthe proper movement of bucketslfisnotinterfered with.

Tlclaim: o

l l; Ina fluid currentmotor, a casing having a fluid inlet andoutlet, a`wheel in said casing having stop members adjacent to its`axisconstructedtobe projected or retracted atuiilh pivoted` vanes onsaid `Wheel' ar- *In `testimony WlleIGGl-y I nameliereta f j i ranged tobe held aglainst` pivotal turning under the influence of the currentcoming into `contact wlth said stop members when `the stop members arein projecting position,

and means for excluding the current from the zone of return movement,said means comprising a series ol partitions in said casing havingnarrow inlet openings and arranged adjacent the inlet to the casina@rand adaptedto restrict the current flow to a sub stantially directpathfrom the casinginlet adjacent one another, each vanein the series`beingprovided with a tall-piece tohold the adjacent vane againstturning on its pivot under the influence ofthe current When theinnermost vane 1n the series is held against such` pivotal turningmovement, plurality of pins disposed adjacent to the axis of said'uiheeL `a plurality of stop members provided with inclined slots `and"constructed i to oscillate on said pms, said stop members bein (Tarranged adjacent tojthe axisof said Wheiil and adapted to be projectedor ,retracted at juull, and means for excludingthe current from the zoneof returnfmovement, `said s'ill means,` comprising a series ofpartitious` of` generally U-form in said"casiufrhavingnarrow inletopenings, arranged adjacentthe inlet to thefcasing and adapted torestrict the current iloiv to a9 substantially direct path from thecasinginlet into "the casing outlet, saidvanes on their return being?adapted to` pass substantially edgewise through the openings inthepartitions, have signed my j Annan Amateurs@ lill 9mm Nm L m9, 5M..

ing line 35,

e @per bush ion,

Sigmd m sealed ms

